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O U T P AT I E N T S U R G E R Y M A G A Z I N E O N L I N E | D E C E M B E R 2 0 1 4
IDEAS
That Work
Practical pearls from your colleagues
T
he electrical cord that runs from the head to the end of the bed
where pneumatic devices hang can be a safety risk. I know — at
my old facility we had someone trip and fall before we found
this creative solution. We bought several thin, brightly colored water
noodles and carefully cut them lengthwise to the hollow center, so the
noodle opened like a clamshell. Then, we positioned the cord in the
center of the noodle using the slice we made, and placed the toy
alongside patients' beds in pre-op and PACU. It corrals the cords off
of the floor, and if the bright noodle happens to move out of place and
become a fall risk, it's easily spotted.
Christy Lee, RN, BSN, CASC, NE-BC
CLL Healthcare Consulting
USING YOUR NOODLE
Pool Toys Safely Contain Stray Cords
Centralia, Mo.
christycox@ymail.com
POOL NOODLE A foam swim toy corrals cords from sequential compression devices, preventing falls.